Safety razor blade



Aug. 2, 1938. J. HoL'rzMAN v 2,125,502

- y SAFETY RAZOR BLADE original Filed Feb. 21, 1951 51.Z0 Figtl'. Figzlg .154 S Fig. 6 v Fig: 13. '$5120 15 Fig. 7. Figui. Figz 1,.

'//yvf/v T/i Patented Aug. 2, 1938 sAFEgrY Razon. BLADE John Holtzman, New York, N. Y., assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Original application February 21, 1931, Serial No.

517,497.v Divided and this application February 10, 1933, Serial No. 656,176

1 claim. (cl. :io-351) This invention relates to safety razors and to the blades to be used in such razors. My invention contemplates, among other things, the provision of simple and eiiicient means for properly 5 and accurately positioning a blade in the holder therefor, as when the holder is assembled ready for shaving, which means allows the easy removal of the blade from the holder, whendesired.

My invention further contemplates the' provision of blades which are designed to fit not only my improvedrazor, but which are also adapted to t various razors of the well-known Gillette type wherein either a plurality of positioning pins are used, or wherein a blade-positioning bar is used. 'I'he blades of my invention also possess features of mechanical merit whereby they are adapted to conform readily and accurately to the .curved faces of the blade-clamping members of the razor Whatever, may be the shape of the latter. My invention further contemplates the provision of flexible blades provided with slots or recesses or both, or depressions of such size, shape l'and arrangement that a substantial part of the .'25 interior of the blade is removed to make it as light and as flexible as possible, while imparting' such a shape to the blade as to make counterfeiting thereof practically impossible, particularly in connection with my improved holder. In other Words, the serious problem of preventing imitators from making blades to fit holders, marketed by reputable manufacturers, may be solved by employing my invention, since imitators are compelled thereby to copy precisely the outline and slots of the blade intended for a particular holder. Any variation of said outline and slots would result in an inoperative structure or one too weak to function or would result in breaking the blade apart.

An important feature of my invention consistsl.

in a thin, flexible safety razor blade intended to' be flexed and used in a position of transverse curvature and having exing hinges at its ends A defined by an internal slot substantially as long as the cutting edges of the bladeand spaced ex- 'verse curvature. faces of the cap and guard may be also warped,

strains of the blades are very largelyfrfl thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figs. 1 to 12 inclusive are plan views of a variety of slotted and recessed double-edged Wafer blades, designed to be used in my improved razor or in positioning pin or bar razors of the Gillette type.

Figs. 13 to 17 inclusive are similar views of similar slotted blades in which -the reentrant recesses have been omitted. 10

Figs. 18 and `19 are similar views of recessed blades adapted for use in my improved razor or in the positioning pin type of Gillette razors.

Fig. 20 is a similar view-of a blade in which the maximum amount of material has been removed 15 l to provide a frame of minimum width and-maximum flexibility, and Y Fig. 21 is a plan view of a blade having recesses,

slots and depressions therein, adapted to fit into vand to bepositioned by my improved razor. 20

'I'he blades hereinl shown are adapted for use in connection with razors of the Gillette type, wherein a cap or clamping member co-ope'rates with a guard member `and is adjusted by rotating a handle, to flex and clamp` a blade be- 25 tween the members. The handle is internally threaded at its upper end to engage a suitable externally-threaded pin or stud depending from the cap. The blade is clamped between the cooperating curved faces of the cap and guard and 30 maintained in a position of pronounced trans- If desired the blade-shaping twisted or helically distorted to impart a drawing cut to the edge of the blade in shaving. 35

To aid in making theblade sufficiently flexible so that it may be twisted, said blade is suitably slotted by the removal of a considerable part of the inner material therefrom. 'I'he edges of the blade may b'e further made more readily dis- 40 tortable by means of reentrant recesses arranged adjacent each of -the blade corners. However',l v the exact shape of the recesses and slots is'of secondary importance only, provided thatjsufilcient material is removed to allow the free 4flexing' 'i455 of the blade.` In some cases the bladcinay be* skeletonized by removing portionsof'th'efbl'arlv both internally and externally.`` The stress "a lced by thev skeletonization of the blades "a"' in this'50 process deep recesses may be madeintheex-'f ternal edge contour of the bladel aswell' as the removal of the central l'ongitudinalzone ofthe l blade. The skeletonization of the blades' also reduces warping of the blade material so thatf f the clamping member.

||5 to |31 inclusive, having a variety of slots, recesses or depressions', all designed to facilitate ilexing of the blades. y

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the external recesses 40, each comprises a substantially straight portion' terminating in a circular portion, the straight portion being parallel to the edge of the blade, while the circular portion tendsto prevent stress concentration at the end of the slot. While the internal aperture III and said recesses 4l may be of various shapes, as illustrated by the various blades shown, I prefer that the ends of the aperture be substantially parallel to the .ends of the blade, that the sides of the aperture be substantially parallel to the edges of the blade, and that the recesses vbe substantially parallel to both the adjacent portion of the slot and to the blade edge, for the reasons which will more fully pointed out hereinafter.

However, regardless of what the shape of the aperture 80 or the recesses III or blade end may be, inter-engaging positioning means for the blade are formed` on the guard member and on Saidfmeans takes the form of a projection upstanding above the bladeengaging portions of the upper surface oi' the guard or cap and having an outline designed to conform toand to fit into the aperture of the blade.

It will be further understood that the various cooperating projections and recesses on the guard Y member and on the clamping member accurately position the blade for shaving purposes with the edge of the blade at the proper distance from and parallel to the axis of the guard portion of the guard member.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a ilexible and distortable blade H5 in which a maximum amount of material has been removed for the purposes above described and provided with recesses 40 and the slot 80. The end of lthe slot 80 is parallel to the end of the blade. I'he bladesections are maintained in spaced relation by slender, substantially U-shaped flexing hinges having their legs connected at their ends to the blade sections. The sections are provided with ears to engage positioning pins 8| and 83, to produce alignment of the blade. Other ears are provided on 'the blade sections to engage the central pin 82.

to prevent longitudinal displacement of the blade. If the pins are circular, the vears engage the pins at' diametrically opposed points. This blade is adapted to the Gillette razor of the three-pin type as well as the Gillette razor of the bar type.

' Fig. 2 snows a blade Hs similar to the blade- ||5 butit is not so highly skeletonized and does not require ears on the blade sections to prevent longitudinal displacement when used with the Gillette razor of the three-pin type since the ears which are adapted to engage the end pins prevent .longitudinal displacement. This blade is also especially adapted to the Gillette razor oi' the bar type. i The ears are adapted to engage the bar and the bights of the U-shaped flexing hinges are adapted to engage the ends ci the bar and.

prevent longitudinal displacement. I I

In the blade thel skeletonization is partly non-symmetrical and otherwise differs from the blade in that the ears are adapted to engage the adjacent sides of the end pins instead of the remote sides. as indicated in blade IIS.

The blade HI, shown in Fig'. 4, diil'ers from blade in that the modiiled skeletonization produces slender short legs for the U-shaped flexible connecting hinges.

In Fig. 5, the skeletonized blade I i9 is especially adapted to the Gillette razor of the threepin type. The blghts of the U-shaped ilexing hinges are provided with ears to prevent endwlse displacement. 1

skeletonized blade |10 of Fig. 6 diilers only in a modined skeletonlzation contour from that disclosed in blade IIC.

In Fig. 'I the blade |2| is skeletonized by enlarging the blade slot transversely and providing apertures adjacent the recessed corner ofthe blade.

In Fig'. 8, the slot 93 is made in the form of a designation as, for example, the name of the manufacturen While the recesses 94 are similarly made in the form o1' a designation as, for example, the trade-mark of the manufacturer, the blade nevertheless embodies generally the principles of my invention above described.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a skeletonized blade of the general type which I have designated as a 4frame blade but provided with ears 95 which enable the blade to be used in either the bar type -or the pin type of conventional Gillette razors.

The ears when engaging pins produce alignment and prevent longitudinal displacement of the blade, but when engaging a bar produce alignment only while the. flexing hinges engage the ends oi the bar and prevent longitudinal displacement oi' the blade.

In Fig. l0., the blade |24 is a skeletonized frame blade having a large rectangular slot detlning the inner edge of the frame structure. 'Ihe inner edge'of the frame structure is. interrupted by ears extending toward the longitudinal center of the blades, said ears comprising positioning means including both aligning means and means to prevent longitudinal' displacement of the blade.

The blade |25, shown ln'Flg. 11, like the blades I |5, ||I and ||9, is provided with exterior slots which co-operate with the ends of the internal aperture in deilnlng ilexing hinges at'l the end of. the blade. In this case, the outer line of flexing hinges is curved and the exterior slots are disposed somewhat obliquely. It will be noted that they extend inwardly beyond the ends of the internal aperture.

They blade |26, shown in Fig. l2, has exterior slots which extend almost to the center of the blade and in this case the flexing hinges are U- shaped with longitudinally-extending legs and undulatory contour.

'I'he blades |21 and |28, shown in Figs. 13 and .14, are provided with large internal apertures 'which impart a skeletonized structure to the d blades. At each end. the internal apertures are provided with narrow outwardly extending recesses which reduce the effective area of the flexing hinges and co-operate with positioning means in locating the blade in the razor.

The blade |29, shown in Fig. l5, is provided with a large internal aperture having oblique tongues extending lnwardlyto engage the centrally vdisposed stud-in the razor. The aperture is provided at each end with a restricted portion oov and with terminal enlargements marked of! from the body of the aperture by oppositely-disposed tongues adapted to engage the studs in the razor.

The blade |30, shown in Fig. 16, is provided `with an internal aperture. having a central rectangular enlargement and terminal enlargements of the same width conforming in their transverse A external recesses having walls which converge inwardly to an inwardly extending slot.

n The blade |33, shown in Fig. 19, has a single, centrally disposed flexing hinge defined by large, external recesses of undulatory margin.

The blade |34, shown in Fig. 20, has a large internal aperture of substantially the same shape as the bladecontour. The ends ot the blade are provided with square notches 96 by which the blade may be located in the razor.

The blade |31, shown in Fig. 21, is provided with softened upstanding lugs or earsIn-ill at its respective ends and with an elongated internal slot |30. 'Ihe ears ISB- |40 are adapted for use as locating means in co-operation with correspondingly-shaped recesses in the razor.

The present application is a division of my copending application, Ser. No.- 517,497, iiled February 21, 1931, now United States Letters Patent No. 1,987,191, dated January 8, 1935.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isz- A safety razor blade having a central longitudinal slot, parallel cutting edges on the blade portions spaced by said slot, end portions of a width less than that of the main body of the blade, and

pliable neck portions forming narrow bands directed at right angles to said cutting edges within the limits dened by the length of said slot and connecting said end portions and said spaced blade portions, the flexibility of said pliable portions exceeding that of said end portions.

J OHN HOLTZMAN. 

